AdGuard joins Signal & Brave in blocking Microsoft Recall, calling it a privacy concern

AdGuard is the latest big name to join Signal and Brave in pushing back against Windows Recall feature, announcing it will block it by default to address mounting privacy concerns around automated data collection in Windows. Recall, available on Copilot Plus PCs, has been controversial from the start due to its constant background screenshots of nearly everything on screen, intended to be searchable later by the user. This has raised red flags, as it can capture private messages, sensitive online forms, and other personal content, prompting AdGuard and others to label it "a privacy risk."

This blocking functionality will launch in AdGuard version 7.21 and be integrated into its Tracking Protection settings. When users enable Tracking Protection, the Disable Windows Recall option will now be activated automatically. The block functions system-wide, preventing Recall from running rather than just limiting it within particular applications. For users who prefer to use Recall, it can be manually re-enabled by unchecking this setting in the Tracking Protection menu. Alongside this new measure, AdGuard continues to offer other privacy tools, such as disabling Windows telemetry data.

Following moves from the Brave browser and Signal messenger, AdGuard’s decision reflects a growing industry trend of software vendors rejecting or limiting Microsoft Recall. While Microsoft has already implemented measures such as disabling Recall by default and requiring Windows Hello authentication, AdGuard maintains that these protections do not sufficiently address privacy risks.